Summerland in Okanagan-Similkameen, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

J.M. Robinson

B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), June 15, 2016

1. J.M. Robinson Marker

Inscription. When John M. Robinson, a former Manitoba legislator and newspaper editor, came to the South Okanagan in 1898, he found only dry grazing land. Seeing its potential, he introduced irrigation and led in the establishment of peach, pear, apricot, and cherry orchards. His promotion and capital built the communities of Peachland, Naramata and Summerland and founded the area's great tree fruit industry.

Erected 1970 by Province of British Columbia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.

Location. 49° 37.979′ N, 119° 40.827′ W. Marker is in Summerland, British Columbia, in Okanagan-Similkameen. It is on Bridgeman Road 0.3 kilometers east of Okanagan Highway (Provincial Highway 97), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20900 Bridgeman Rd, Summerland BC V0H 1Z6, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the BC Interior

and in Thompson-Okanagan.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within 14 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Okanagan Mountain Fire of 2003 (approx. 13.3 kilometers away).

Also see . . . JM Robinson Comes For Gold, Stays For Peaches. How eating peaches changed a man's quest and created an industry. (Canadian History Ehx, posted July 29, 2019) (Submitted on February 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

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John Moore Robinson (1855-1934) image. Click for full size.

Archives of Manitoba, Legislative Assemblies, 6th Session, 1886-1888 (Public domain), circa 1887

2. John Moore Robinson (1855-1934)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 438 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on February 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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